Chapter 146
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 146
“Who would dare approach a man who has me as his lover? Have you seen a single woman try to flirt with James?”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“You don’t want to be bothered by trivial people, do you? All those annoying advances will vanish instantly. And even if we eventually part ways, it will still benefit you.”
She smiled, tracing her collarbone with her fingertips.
“The mere fact that you were Bella Listerwell’s lover will be a badge of honor for you.”
Cedric finally broke into a laugh, struck by her sheer, arrogant confidence.
If anyone else had said it, they would have been ridiculed as delusional, but the weight of the statement lay in the fact that she was Bella Listerwell. The situation was very likely to unfold exactly as she predicted.
“You won’t regret it, Duke.”
As if asking him to seal their contract, Bella extended her glass. If he clinked his glass against hers, the deal would be struck.
Cedric gazed at the champagne, which captured the deep glow of the setting sun, and asked, “Won’t you regret it? A broken engagement can be a devastating stain on a woman’s reputation.”
“Let me tell you again. I am Bella Listerwell.”
Her meaning was clear: she was not a woman whose future would be ruined by such a trivial past.
Cedric’s eyes lingered on the ruby gleaming at Bella’s chest before slowly lifting to meet her gaze. He wondered if such a vibrant green was truly the complementary color to ruby.
She was alluring. Her eyes held the fading sunset, and the curve of her gaze matched the invitation of her glistening lips.
Just then, a voice drifted in from outside.
“Where did the Duke go? The waltz is about to begin!”
Cedric’s champagne glass, which had been moving to meet Bella’s, froze in mid-air. He glanced toward the balcony doors, a hint of regret coloring his voice.
“I suppose I should head back out.”
“Very well.”
Though her gaze lingered regretfully on the glass Cedric set down without taking a single sip, Bella decided not to dwell on it.
There will be another chance.
The two of them opened the balcony doors together and re-entered the banquet hall. Several guests witnessed their entrance, immediately covering their mouths with fans as they began to whisper busily.
Oh? Is Cedric Kailas with a woman?
Among those who saw Cedric entering from the balcony was Harriet. It was shortly after Lauren had fled and the surrounding commotion had died down.
She had expected to see Cedric surrounded by women at tonight’s party, but actually seeing it made her feel strange. However, an even greater shock followed.
Wait a minute. Is that… Bella?
She couldn’t tear her eyes away, wondering if she had misidentified her, when Cedric suddenly turned his head. Their eyes met.
In that instant, Harriet reflexively turned away. She didn’t want him to know she had been watching.
“Aunt, could I step out for some air? Just for a moment. I think I might have had too much champagne; I feel a bit flushed…”
Feeling guilty about leaving Roxana, who had just endured Lauren’s outrageous behavior, Harriet piled on the excuses. She knew she sounded pathetic, but for some reason, she didn’t want to see Cedric right now. And she wanted to see Bella even less.
Perhaps sensing that Harriet was off-balance, Roxana looked at her suspiciously before nodding.
“Don’t worry about me. Countess Hashton is here, and I’m not so fragile. Go on.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“No, take as much time as you need. Your cheeks really are flushed; you do seem a bit tipsy.”
Harriet knew that despite the teasing tone, there was genuine consideration in her aunt's words. She nodded and headed toward the ducal estate’s rear garden.
As it was a high-class gala, the atmosphere was refined, lacking the rowdy noise of the Laurel family’s party, but quite a few people were still strolling through the grounds. Harriet avoided them, fleeing toward a dark, quiet corner. When she finally found an isolated, empty bench, her legs gave out, and she slumped onto it.
“Haa… haa…”
The faint strains of music drifting from the banquet hall told her she hadn’t wandered too far. Of course, she was in no state to appreciate the melody.
Why did he come off the balcony with Bella?
Her mind was consumed by the image of them together.
What were those two doing out there?
Knowing Bella as well as she did, Harriet’s mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusions. If Bella was in a private place with a man like Cedric, she would surely have tried to seduce him.
Cedric usually seemed to have little interest in women, but he was still a man. Could he truly remain unmoved when a dazzling beauty whispered sweet, flirtatious words in his ear?
He must have liked it, right? Did he smile at her? Did he tell her he’d see her later? …Cedric Kailas, you idiot!
Rage surged within her, followed by a sharp sense of injustice.
Is Bella trying to steal even the Duke of Kailas from me?
As the thought crossed her mind, Harriet froze. A hollow laugh escaped her lips as she realized the absurdity of her own feelings.
“Ha…! Am I crazy?”
You can only lose what you once possessed.
To think of Cedric Kailas as being ‘stolen’ from her—when had she started harboring such audacious thoughts? Moreover, the emotion she felt toward Bella was undeniably clear.
This is… jealousy, isn’t it?
For the first time in her life, she hated Bella’s beauty, her curves, and her melodic voice. She envied them. It was the first time she had ever felt such a crushing sense of defeat because of her sister. And now, she finally understood why these ugly emotions had been triggered.
I was the idiot all along.
A cool night breeze brushed past her nape. It sent a sharp pang through her, and Harriet wrapped her arms around herself.
“It’s cold.”
Though the goosebumps on her skin were from the night air, her heart felt utterly desolate. The early summer garden, bursting with life and the intoxicating scent of flowers, offered her nothing but the damp, musty smell of darkness and loneliness.
No, it was likely just her own delusion, lost in childish sentimentality. Knowing that only made her more depressed.
To have given my heart to that man. What a terrible thing you’ve done, Harriet Listerwell.
She had wanted to ignore it until the very end. She had wanted to deny it, scoffing at the idea as absurd. Because if she acknowledged it—if she let herself feel it—then all that remained were days of enduring endless pain and longing.
But it wasn’t entirely her fault that things had come to this.
Why did he act so strangely? It’s ridiculous. A man of his status, a Duke, constantly smiling at a woman like me, showing such kindness!
He had even hugged her from behind. Not long ago, he had touched her eyelids, telling her she looked tired. If he did all that without any intention behind it, then he truly deserved to be sued!
Harriet fumed internally, then buried her face in her hands, wondering what she was doing.
Whether he did something with Bella or not, it has nothing to do with me.
But then her mind raced to the practical consequences.
No, wait. If Bella badmouths me and he withdraws his investment, what will happen to <Clarissa>? What about the land in Lowerberry? What about the funding for the next project?
Thinking of it that way, his meeting with Bella felt like a direct threat to her livelihood. The problem was that she was in no position to say a single word about it.
“Ugh, damn it! This is so annoying!”
Believing she was alone, she let the vulgarity slip out. It made her feel slightly better, but she immediately regretted it when she heard footsteps approaching.
Harriet tensed, holding her breath, and stood up. If she ran into a guest in a place like this, it would look scandalous. She had to leave before she was spotted.
Just as she was about to step out from behind the trees shielding the bench, a voice stopped her.
“Found you.”
The man, who had anticipated her move, smiled faintly and blocked her path. Harriet was so startled she nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Du… Duke?”
“It’s nice and cool out here. It was getting a bit stifling inside.”
Cedric walked over to the bench Harriet had just vacated and calmly took a seat. He gestured with his eyes for Harriet, who was staring at him in shock, to sit beside him.
“Why… why are you here?”
“Why, you ask? I believe I told you earlier that I’d see you later.”
Only then did she recall his lips moving earlier, mouthing those very words. She had assumed it was just a polite formality.
Harriet hesitated, realizing it would be awkward to flee now, and approached him tentatively. She expected the bench to be cold, but Cedric suddenly stood, took off his jacket, and spread it over the seat for her.
“Huh?”
“You make quite interesting noises. Then again, you’re someone who doesn’t hesitate to say ‘damn it’ either.”
“Ah… you heard that…”
“Unfortunately, I have excellent hearing. But by any chance, was that ‘damn human’ me?”
“Of course not!”
Cedric chuckled and gestured to the spot beside him again.
Using the Duke’s jacket as a cushion felt like a heavy burden, but honestly, she didn’t dislike the gesture. Harriet sat down, pretending to be reluctant. Thanks to his jacket, which still held his body heat, the chill of the night didn't reach her.
Even after she sat, Cedric remained silent for a while, and Harriet followed his lead. They sat together, breathing in the night air thick with the scent of flowers, and gazed up at the star-filled sky. In the silence, the chirping of the crickets sounded remarkably loud.